Transfer device for guiding strand as it is continuously unwound from spools



June 28, 1960 B. F. BACHUS 2,942,802

TRANSFER DEVICE FOR GUIDING STRAND AS IT IS CONTINUOUSLY UNWOUND FROM SPOOLS Filed Aug. 30, 1955 Was /7 .2

//W:/ :/r0e 5255/40/05 2,942,802 TRANSFER DEVICE FOR GUlDING STRAND CONTINUOUSLY UNWOUND FROM Benson F. Bachus, Westche ster, 11]., assignmto Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 30, 1955, Ser. No. 531,444

2 Claims. (Cl. 242-128) This invention relates to a device for guiding strand as it is unwound continuously from spools at different locations and more particularly to a device having a strand guiding element shiftable from one to another of a pair of supply stations for guiding the strand from spools at these stations.

An object of the invention is to provide a strand guiding device having a movable element for guiding the strand from spools at a pair of stations and having means for supporting and yieldably maintaining the element in a pair of positions aligned with the spools and permitting movement of the element from one position to the other by the strand as the unwinding of the strand is transferred from one spool to another.

A device illustrating certain features of the invention may include means for supporting a pair of spools of interconnected strand at a pair of stations in laterally spaced relation to each other, and means for supporting a strand guiding arm' in two operative "positions above I As the arm is-moved from one operative position to the other the tilted mounting thereof causes the end of the arm to swing through an arc and torise from a predetermined low level above one spool tea-higher level at a point intermediate its two spool positions and-then fall to said predetermined level above the other spool so that the arm is yieldably held by gravity in either of its two operative positions and as the unwinding of the strand is transferred from one spool to another the arm is moved by the strand from one position through the center or high point 'of travel and is carried by gravity and its inertia through the rest of its travel to its other operative position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description' and the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the" device'for guiding-strand as it is being'unwound sequentially from a pair of spools;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the device;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the device;

Fig. .4 is an enlarged plan sectional view of a portion of the strand guiding device taken along line 4--4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the device taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 15 represents a base for supporting a pair of spools or reels 17 having a continuous wire 18 and having retractablemembers 19 for positioning the spools in predetermined locations or stations 20 and 21 while the wire is being unwound therefrom and fed into a pulp machine for applying insulation thereto. Flyers are placed on the upper head of the spools to tension the wire and cause uniform unwinding thereof. The

States l atent ice flyerslcomprise a sheet metal disc 22 with a downwardly turned curved flange, a post 23 for supporting an arm 24 for rotation, a grooved roller 25 on the end of the arm'for guiding the Wire, and a spring 26 for pressing the arm 24 against the disc to provide a drag for tensioning the wire 18. The wire, as it is unwound from a spool 17 and tensioned by the flyer, moves upwardly through a ring 27 fixed to one end of an arm 28 of a wire guide and automatic transfer device 30 which is mounted in a predetermined position above the base 15 and the spools 17 thereon. At its other end the arm 28 has a hub 31 which is mounted for oscillatable movement on an upwardly directed pin 32. Ball bearings 34 (Fig. 5) are provided to reduce the friction between the pin 32 and the hub 31. The pin 32 is secured to a supporting member 33 which has a cylindrical lug 35 extending horizontally from one end thereof into one end of a tubular horizontally disposed arm 36 on the upper end of a standard or post 37 extending upwardly from the base 15..

The supporting member 33 may be angularly adjusted about a horizontal axis extending through the lug 35 to tilt the pin 32 to any desired angle from the vertical. and the supporting member 33 may be locked in its selected angular position by a lock screw 40 threadedly mounted in the tubular arm 36 for clamping the lug 35 against movement. The supporting member 33 is positioned 'so that the axis 41 of the pin 32 is disposed and is" angularly adjustable in a vertical plane positioned midway between the spools 17 and the stations 20 and 21, and the arm 28 is adapted to be oscillated about the axis 4l and the pin 32 through a limited movement on opposite sides of the vertical plane into two operative positions. A pairofstop screws 45 m'ountedcn the supporting member 33 in angularly spaced relation to eachother are enga'geable with a depending stop. finger 47- on the arm 28 to stop the arm two-operative posi-' tions with the guide rings'27 above and in substantial vertical alignment with the spools 17.

. The tilted-axis of oscillation 41 causes'the free end of the arm 28 to travel through an are 49 (Fig. 2) ha-v ing a vertical rise and-fall with the low points of'the are being above and in alignment with the spools at the operative positions of the arm 28 so that as the arm is moved from one operative position to the other the free end thereof is caused to rise from its low point over one spool to a high point intermediate its two operative positions and fall to its other low point at its other operative 28 above the ring 27 for receiving the wire 18 during its upward movement a spool 17, and a pulley 51 s mounted on a bracket 52 fixed to and extending upwardly from the other end of the arm 28 for receiving the wire from the pulley and directing toward the axis 41 A stationary pulley 54 mounted on a bracket 55 secured to the upper end of the pin 32 cooperates with the pulley 51 for guiding the strand upwardly a short distance in sub stantial alignment with the axis 41 and for guiding the strand for horizontal movement therefrom.

In the operation of the device, as the wire 18 is being unwound from a spool 17 at station 20 it is tensioned by the flyer and is guided upwardly through the guide ring 27 and over the pulley 50 toward the axis 41 and is then directed upwardly and laterally to a pulp machine (not shown) for processing, and while the wire is being unwound from this spool, a full spool of strand is loaded onto the station 21 and the leading end of the wire thereof is bonded to the trailing end of the wire of the spool at station 20 to produce a continuous wire. The loose portionof joined wire extending between the reels is tucked under a spring clip 60 on :the base and is yieldably I held there .to apply a slight tension thereto When the point between the stations, whereupon .gravity and the inertia of the arm will cause the arm to continue its movement. to its other low point and its other operative position above the spool, at station '21. The empty reel may then .be removed from station and a reel placed thereqmafter which thestrands onthetwo reels are interconnected as explained above sandlthe cycle of operation is-repeated with the: strand causing the ann ls to be shifted ifrom its operative positionabove a spool at'station 21 into, itsoperative position. above the reel: at station 20, in, responseitoithe transfer of the unwinding of Wire from the spool at station 21 to the spool at station 20. From the above description it will; be. seen that the arm 28 is, supported in. teither of its; two low operative positions in alignment with spools .of ,wire at the two stations for guiding the wire therefrom and, that the arm is yieldably maintained in either of these two positions and is capable of being moved by the strand from: a low point at one operative-position through the intermediate high. point of travel andscausedtomovedown to its other low point at its: other operative positionin response: to the transfer- Qf, .the-unwinding oi the strand from one, spool-to the other; Insapparatus where full spools of wire are loaded atonostation, as for exanrple stat-ion 21, and thentra'nsr ferr d. tonn other station 20' and removed therefrom when empty, thejarm 2,8 is moved with the reel fromstation ll to station :20by the pull of the wire 18 thereon.

The angular position of, the axis 41 r of oscillation of he arm 28 be adjusted tovvary the comp nent; oi f it qnal,forcetending to keep'the arm in either oi its. twoeoperative,positions-so that it"will be'sufiicientto said supporting member for oscillatory movement about a first axis, said supporting member having a cylindrical'element projecting laterally therefrom, a standard on said mounting means having a cylindrical recessconcentric with a horizontal axis disposed perpendicular to said vertical plane for receiving-said cylindrical element and supporting said, supporting member for; pivotal movement about. said horizontal axisand, with said first axis positionedin said vertical plane so that said supporting member may be adjusted to locate said first axis in various angular positions in said vertical pljane, a'screw threadably mounted insaid standard and engaging; said cylindrical element for securing said supporting member in adjusted position on said standard with said first disposed obliquely to a vertical axis, and means for stopping the movement of said strand-guiding-arm' about said first axis with the free end of said-arm in predetermined operative positions in alignment with the spools in saidv stations, the angular position of the first axis being so arranged to cause the free end of said strand-guiding arm to be raised from a predetermined level at its, operative positions to a higher level at an intermediate position in said vertical plane and lowered to said predetermined level as said arm is. swung from one operative position to another whereby said arm is yieldably held by gravity in its operative positions.

'2. In a device for guiding strand as it is unwound from adjustable supporting member, a strandguiding-arm-pivotliquely to a vertical axis whereby said, supporting mom-- 7 ber'may be adjusted to vary the angular position of'said- 40" yieldably maintain the its two operative? positions :bnt willnot'ex'ceed theiforc'e exerted by' theipull of the wire'onthe arm for'shift-ing it from one positionto an, 6

other when -the unwinding of the wire is transferred from? onespool to another.- i

,It;is-to be understood thatthev above-described arrangements are. simplyillustrativeof the applicationi of theprinciples ofthis invention! Numerous otherarrange. ments maybe-readily devised by; those skilled" in the art which will embody the-principlesof the invention; andifall within thespirit-andscope thereof. t V j 'Whattis claimed list v 1. In:a device for guiding'strand as itisunwound from spools;-the combination of mounting means-tfor'supporting':

a pair of spools of interconnected strand at a pair of stations in-laterally spaced'relation to each'ot-hefon-opposite sidesor a vertical plane midwaytherehetw'een, a-

strand-guidingfarm, an adjustable supporting member;

- mennsfor pivotallymounting said strand-guidingarm on;

ally mounted on said supporting member for oscillatory movement abouta first axis, a standard on saidmounting means, means for pivotally mounting said supporting member on said standard for movement about a2horizontal axis perpendicular to said vertical plane and, with said firstyaxis pos'itioned in said vertical plane and obfirst axis in said vertical plane, means torsecuring said supporting, mem-ber fin -adjusted'position on saidistandard, andrmeans 'for stopping the movement of saidistr'and- V; armlaboutgsaidftir'st with. the free end of said arm; in predetermined operative positions in -al-ignment withfthe spools in said stations; the angular position of the first axis being-so arranged to cause the freesend of "said strand-guiding arm to be raised from a predeter- -mined level at its operative positionsto a 'higher'level at an intermediate position in said vertical plane and lowered to said predetermined level as-said arm is swung from one operative position to another'whereby said arm is yield-- ablyheld by gravity in its operative positions References Cited in the file of this patent Washabaugii. Mar..12,,1957

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